1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for increasing the functionality of a media player/recorder device and, more particularly, to a method utilizing a title signal contained in digital data, encoded as a subsignal of a digital watermark signal contained in the digital data, or contained within or part of an application program.
2. Prior Art
There is considerable interest in applying watermarking as a complimentary technology to encryption for copy protection of content on DVD video discs. It is currently proposed to insert 4-bits of copy control information. The first 2-bits indicate the copy permission associated with the content, i.e., free-to-copy, copy-once, copy-no-more and never-copy. The other 2-bits are used to control the associated analog copy protection system that prevents VHS recording of copy-no-more and copy-never material. The watermark-is expected to code these 4-bits of information and 4 additional bits whose use is not yet defined.
In order-for the copy protection system to work, all DVD recorders- preferably all (digital) video recordersxe2x80x94must have watermark detector circuitry that detects a watermark in the video and prevents the compliant DVD player or recorder from performing an illegal action, e.g., recordings a copy-never movie. The cost of this detector may be small and is borne by the equipment manufacturers, despite the fact that there is no direct benefit to said manufacturers. In fact, adding copy generation control to DVD players and recorders not only costs manufacturers money but also reduces the functionality of the devices in the view of the consumer, i.e. consumers want to make copies of movies. Of course, both the equipment manufacturer and the consumer indirectly benefit, since without adequate copy protection technology, content owners would not publish their content on this media.
Nevertheless, consumers would like to copy pre-recorded content, and equipment manufacturers are therefore not inclined to install copy protection mechanisms in general and watermark detectors in particular. Thus, legislative and licensing mechanisms are being considered in order to compel the incorporation of copy-protection schemes. While such-measures are likely to be reasonably successful, it is nevertheless clear that equipment manufactures will only do the minimum necessary to meet their legal obligations.
Ideally, content owners would like to have a copy protection scheme that included increased functionality such that manufacturers and consumers would actually seek out such devices rather than non-compliant devices. Clearly, if a consumer is not permitted to make a copy of a movie, then some other functionality must be provided to compensate for this limitation.
Content owners of electronic books and software are faced with similar problems with regard to providing an incentive for consumers to purchase upgrades or new versions of their products.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a method in which a copy protection scheme adds increased functionality to a player and/or recorder device or to-an application program.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method in which a player and/or recorder device having a copy protection scheme is sought after by manufacturers and consumers of the device.
Accordingly, a method for-utilizing a xe2x80x9ctitle signalxe2x80x9d contained in multiple copies of a title is proposed. Here, title refers to the title of digital content data, for example a movie, such as xe2x80x9cWaterworldxe2x80x9d, and the multiple copies refer to say, each copy of the movie that is replicated onto a DVD disk or downloaded to a personal computer via an Internet connection. When a copy of a title is played, the title signal is compared with a player signal previously stored in a player device. The data includes digital image, video (both of which are hereinafter referred to as image data), audio data, and multimedia data. The method comprises the steps of: downloading the digital data having the title signal via an Internet connection; transferring the downloaded digital data to the player device; detecting, at the player device, the title signal in the data: comparing the title signal to the player signal stored at the player device; and performing an action based upon the comparison.
In a preferred implementation, the action is performed if the title signal matches the player signal, and an action is to notify the device user of the match and the winning of a prize. Other actions are also possible, including allowing the user to view hidden video chapters of the movie or hidden audio tracks. Any action that a user perceives as valuable is a candidate action.
In another preferred implementation, the title signal is a subsignal of a watermark signal encoded in the digital data, in which case the method further comprises the steps of: extracting the watermark signal from the digital data; and decoding the subsignal.
In yet another preferred implementation, the title signal is a subsignal of the copy control watermark signal encoded in the digital data, in which case the method further comprises the steps of: extracting the watermark signal from the digital data; and decoding the subsignal. The benefit of this arrangement is that while the copy control watermark may inhibit illegal recording and playback, it also provides added functionality that outweighs its perceived disadvantage. Consequently, users will actively desire compliant-devices. Of course, the method described need not be technologically coupled to the copy control watermark, but instead, might be coupled by licensing means.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for utilizing a title signal contained in digital data through a comparison of the title signal to a player signal stored in, or available from, a personal computer is provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing the digital data having the title signal; detecting, at the personal computer, the title signal in the data: comparing the title signal to the player signal; and performing an action based upon the comparison.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the title signal is contained in or is part of a computer readable set of instructions (hereinafter alternatively referred to as a computer program which includes an application program or an operating system) running on a machine capable of reading the set of instructions (hereinafter alternatively referred to as a personal computer) where the computer readable set of instructions is accessed from a variety of possible sources including memory, hard disk, CD and/or DVD drives or the Internet.
When Internet distribution is used, it is relatively straightforward to encode different Title signals in different copies-of the same title. This is in contrast to DVD disks, where the replication process makes this more difficult. Furthermore, different matching algorithms and/or actions can be download along with the video, thereby providing much greater flexibility than for stand-alone players and recorders.
Title numbers need not be restricted to image, audio or multimedia data when used in conjunction with a PC. In fact, for example, any application program can be assigned a title number. When the application program is run, the program compares its title number to a player number contained within or from information available at the P.C. and acts accordingly.
In still yet another embodiment of the present invention, the data for an application program can contain the title number which is compared to the player number. For example, a document might have a title number which is read by a word processing application.